This is a story of bears clashing with nightingales, of spells and sapphires, sea kings and swan maidens. In this tale brothers Morozoko and Medved do battle, their fates hitched to the wings of a tiny songbird—a girl born from magical lines into a centuries old prophecy. “The Bear and the Nightingale” begins on a […]

A difficult woman is shorthand for one who thinks and acts outside patriarchal values and refuses to be defined by commonly held notions of femininity. The women in Gay’s collection come from different backgrounds and each lives within her own set of unique circumstances, but are all difficult in their own ways. They are all […]

Two girls meet in dance class as 7-year-olds, but only one of them, Tracey, has “rhythm in her ligaments.” As adults the childhood friends are estranged, one a professional dancer, one an executive assistant for a powerhouse pop star. The story alternates between girlhood in poverty-riddled North London, and adulthood (also in London, New York […]

“All​ ​good​ ​secrets​ ​have​ ​a​ ​taste​ ​before​ ​you​ ​tell​ ​them.” The women of Upper Room Chapel church are no strangers to the whispers of affairs and other marital transgressions, or the daily minutiae of small sins and minor depravities congregates commit. Like mothers they watch over their congregation and the town of Oceanside, passing secrets […]

This is an ambitious debut, the character’s lives connect in complex and far-reaching ways. The timeline spans decades, reaches high into the branches of family trees, and deep into the roots of history, and twines inside cyber space. What at first appears to be a terrorist act is the impetus of a much larger plot, […]

What wields more power than a kiss? A kiss is both a hello and goodbye, a beginning and an ending. A kiss inspires Peter to give Wendy the life-saving acorn button, and Romeo and Juliet to compare their lips to a pilgrim’s hands in prayer. In Ann Patchett’s “Commonwealth,” one kiss changes everything. Patchett, a […]

This year marks a century since Congress passed legislation establishing the National Parks Service: The National Parks service is older than womens suffrage in America. This simple thought is mind boggling. Much has changed in the last 100 years, and while feminism still has much to accomplish (equality is still a goal and not a reality), […]

After their neighbor, Mrs. Creasy, goes missing, precocious 10-year-olds Tillie and Grace spend the summer of 1976 hunting for Jesus, believing he can keep their sleepy English village safe. Jesus is everywhere after all, at least according to the vicar, but God sometimes shows himself in unexpected ways (and places). At the beginning of their […]

If I could turn back time I would visit Harvard Square when Amanda Palmer, fresh out of college and mostly broke and “making a living in one-dollar bills,” turned the stumble toward adulthood into something meaningful by performing as the Ten Foot Bride. I would take the flower. Thank you. For seeing me. I see […]

“A heart is judged not by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” Lily loves ice cream, chicken and rice, tofurky, her red ball, and her dad, Ted. She loves the beach but dislikes being wet. On Thursdays Lily and Ted discuss which boys they think are the cutest, […]

About Bex Writes

I am a writer and indie bookseller with a journalism degree from Southern Oregon University and a voracious appetite for books. I don't view reading as an escape as much as an extension of reality. Books help me make sense of the world and find my place there. Read More…

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I am so incredibly honored and grateful to be a James Patterson Bookseller Bonus recipient for 2017. This last year was an especially intense year for bookselling. Indie booksellers perform political acts every day by promoting free speech and equality. I am proud to be among the ranks of hardworking indie booksellers across the nation, and am so touched by the generosity of James Patterson in recognizing all that we do.